Chuck assembly



Sept. 17, 1968 Flle pr'll u a a Z. M V///W///%/ m v Q m w M 4%. F. 7////// V////// V \/VV////V i 2 United States Patent Office 3,401,443 Patented Sept. 17, 1968 3,401,443 CHUCK ASSEMBLY Thomas Wayne March, Chattanooga, Tenn., assignor to E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 17, 1967, Ser. No. 631,450 2 Claims. (Cl. 29234) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A chuck attached to the end of a press shaft is equipped with dogs which pivot outwardly into engagement with and force a metallic reinforcing core from within a bobbin tube, but not until the dogs have been freed by movement of a retaining sleeve after its engagement with an inturned edge or lip at one end of the bobbin tube.

A practical support for use in the shipment of synthetic yarns is a disposable cardboard bobbin tube slipped over a metallic reinforcing core and secured in place. Such a bobbin tube is inexpensive and by replacement makes the metallic core reusable many times upon recovery. In assembly, the tube slides easily onto the metallic core, but after drawn yarn is wound onto the bobbin tube, it is compressed by shrinkage of the yarn. As a consequence of such compression, up to 1,500 pounds of axial force are required to salvage the metallic core after removal of the yarn. Removal of the core by simply exerting sufficient pressure in the opposite direction to break the gripping action is impractical because of an inturned edge formed at one end of the cardboard tube to facilitate unwinding (U.S. Patent 3,224,696 to Hendry).

According to the present invention, removal of such bobbin tubes is facilitated by providing a reciprocable press shaft with a core-removing assembly in which a chuck carries at least three pivotally mounted, radially disposed dogs. On the chuck, there is a reciprocable sleeve which normally holds the dogs pivoted inwardly against the bias of a spring means and which is adapted for engagement with the inturned edge on a bobbin tube as the press shaft is advanced. The dogs are radially extensible into engagement with the core and force it from the tube as the shaft and chuck advance.

Other objectives and advantages of the self-expanding chuck will be apparent from the following description of a use embodiment. In the specification, reference is made to the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of the chuck showing the dogs in their retracted positions; and

FIG. 2 is another sectional view showing the dogs radially extended and in position to engage the reinforcing core in a bobbin tube.

In the illustrated embodiment, an assembly for forcing an aluminum reinforcing core from a disposable cardboard bobbin tube 12 has been shown on the reciprocable shaft 14 of a press. The assembly includes a chuck 16 threaded to the end of shaft 14, a sleeve 18 and a sleeve bearing 20. Normally, a shoulder on the interior of sleeve 18 rests on the flanged end of chuck 16 and the sleeve holds four pivoted dogs 22 in a retracted position (FIG. 1). Dogs 22 are radially disposed and pivotally mounted intermediate their ends.

Referring to FIG. 2, bobbin tube 12 has an inturned or crimped edge 24 at one of its ends for the purpose of avoiding snags and breaks in filamentary yarn being unwound from a package on the tube. When the empty package support is returned, core 10 can be used again after removal and replacement of tube 12. This is accomplished by locating the empty support on a press with inturned edge 24 beneath the end 26 of sleeve 18. As shaft 14 is advanced, e.g., by air cylinder, end 26 of sleeve 18 engages and is stopped by edge 24. With further advance of shaft 14 and chuck 16, dogs 22 pivot and expand radially to the illustrated position where their outer ends are above the edge of core 10. Continued advance of chuck 16 and radially extended dogs 22 through the full stroke of shaft 14 forces core 10 from tube 12 and ejects it through a suitable opening in the press bed.

Positive pivotal movement of degs 22 to their extended position is insured by engagement of their inner ends 28 With the head on a push rod 30 which carries a coil spring 32. When shaft 14 is withdrawn, sleeve 18 slides down and returns dogs 22 to their retracted positions against the bias of spring 32.

For satisfactory operation, there should be at least three pivoted dogs on the chuck. Where it is more convenient to operate the chuck upwardly or horizontally, a compression spring is mounted between sleeve 18 and chuck 16 or a fixed part of the press for biasing the assembly toward the position shown in FIG. 1. Additional variations and modifications of a similar nature will occur to those skilled in the art without departure from the invention which accordingly is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a press including a chuck attached to the end of a reciprocable shaft, an assembly for forcing a reinforcing core from within a tube having an inturned edge at one of its ends, said assembly comprising: at least three radially disposed dogs pivotally mounted intermediate their ends on said chuck; a sleeve reciprocably mounted on said chuck, said sleeve normally being in engagement with the dogs for holding them pivoted inwardly and being adapted for engagement with said inturned edge of the tube as the press shaft advances; and spring means in engagement with the dogs for their radial extension outwardly into engagement with said core as the chuck is advanced in the sleeve.

2. The press of claim 1 wherein said spring means comprises a push rod axially mounted in and projecting from said chuck and a coil spring on the rod, said dogs having inner ends in the path of said rod.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,298,183 10/1942 Susen 29234 X 2,924,005 2/1960 Wilson et al 29282 X 2,971,254- 2/1961 Fairfield 29282 X 3,069,761 12/1962 Sommer 29252 3,166,834 1/1965 Newman 29234 MILTON S. MEHR, Primary Examiner. 

